Demystifying application programming interfaces.

For the past two years or so, Microsoft .NET has been all the rage in the association technology community, and many software vendors have scrambled to educate the marketplace on benefits it can provide. The association marketplace has responded very favorably, and TMA Resources is one of several association software providers that has successfully distinguished itself with a product written in Microsoft .NET.

However, as many associations have figured out, Microsoft .NET is not the great leveler of software development, granting to all companies that use it the keys to superior software development. There are many different ways to develop software with Microsoft .NET, and developers have a wide range of options open to them for distinguishing themselves from the herd with innovative development strategies. One such strategy is to include an application programming interface (API) library as part of your association management software (AMS) application.

* API is a time-tested technology that's easy to understand and use. An API is a self-contained set of instructions for calling up common functions that can then be used in numerous ways within any number of different applications. For example, the function of querying a database and presenting the resulting data in a particular way is a function used in myriad ways within association management software applications. That function, along with all other common functions, can be stored in a library. Then, using the API for that function as a sort of library card, the function can be checked out and deployed throughout the application, or within other applications-such as an e-business application-to provide access to the exact same functionality, without the need for additional programming.

* APIs offer enormous benefit to associations seeking inexpensive, flexible ways to extend the power of their association management software. Using APIs, or by calling up APIs via Web services, associations can more easily incorporate into Web pages functionality already existing in their AMS, eliminating the need for understanding complex business logic and empowering Web developers to broaden the reach of their Web sites.

* APIs offer greater flexibility for Web-based applications. No longer are associations dependent upon their vendor's best guess about what sort of Web functionality they need. Without providing access to APIs, vendors are forced to make certain assumptions regarding what most associations are looking for in an e-business product. Individual associations with particular requirements will need their vendor's assistance in programming additional functionality not included in the off-the-shelf package they offer.

APIs allow associations to open via the Web virtually every bit of functionality offered by their AMS to users and members. With access to API libraries, associations can now build Web sites with functionality that exactly matches the functionality of their association management software, thereby eliminating the need for redundant programming or complicated systems for replicating data.

* E-business is just the starting point for effectively using APIs to leverage the power of your association management software. APIs can also be used as a common interface between your AMS and other applications you're already using. By writing to APIs, other applications can make ready use of the powerful functionality already existing within your AMS, removing the high cost of programming that functionality anew.

As with Microsoft .NET, APIs are not a magic elixir. Some associations with smaller IT staffs will still need the assistance of their AMS vendors to help them deploy APIs within Web pages and other applications. In anticipation of this need, TMA Resources, for example, is bundling the services required to make full use of the APIs it provides with its TIMSS association management software. In the end, associations with access to application API libraries will reap enormous benefit, both in terms of flexibility and extended functionality, at a much lower cost.

RELATED ARTICLE: Company Bio

TMA Resources, Inc., provides member management software tools to leading trade associations and professional societies. Our newest offering, TIMSS[TM] 6, is a 100 percent Web-based, n-tier, Microsoft .NET solution with increased flexibility, enhanced functionality, and added efficiency. TIMSS fully integrates e-commerce, e-community, and executive decision support to create an unmatched infrastructure.

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Contact:

703-847-2800

888-878-TMAR

www.tmaresources.com

Edi Dor is CEO and president of TMA Resources, McLean, Virginia. E-mail: [e-mail].